Current motor



CURRENT MOTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2,1945

M1 FF Inventor July 2, 1946.

CURRENT MOTOR Filed Dec. 2, .1945 1 3Shet-Sheet 2 Ihventor ,QHLPH Ww ao, HA1 :0 H I a Attorneys R. w. HARBAUGH 2,403,178

' Jul 1-946.

R. w. HARBAUGH 2,403,178

CURRENT MOTOR Filed new 2, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet :5v

Q Inventor Patented July 2, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CURRENT MOTOR Ralph Waldo Harbaugh, Miles City, Mont.

Application December 2, 1943, Serial No. 512,613

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in current motors designed for the purpose of developing power from the current of a stream, one of the principal objects of the invention being to provide a machine for this purpose which can be-moored in the current of a stream and permitted to operate to develop electrical power.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a motor of this character which can be readily controlled.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the motor.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the motor.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of a debris uard.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing the front end portion of a trackway and an auxiliary track associated therewith.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that the device consists of a float 5 having a continuous trackway 6 at each side portion thereof. The trackway has upper and lower flights a, b which extend longitudinally of the float, the ends of the upper and lower flights being connected by arcuate portions 0, d.

Traveling in these trackways are endless chains I. Between the chains 1, I are a number of panels or vanes 8, each of which has end trunnions 9 which are journaled into the chains 1 and each of which carries an arm l0 having a roller II at its outer end.

At the forward ends of the device, that is, disposed outwardly of the curved end portions 0 of the trackways are auxiliary tracks I2, l2 eccentrically disposed with respect to the curved portions 0 of the trackways 6 and against these auxiliary tracks l2 the rollers H of the vanes are adapted to ride in order to gradually bring the vanes from a flat inoperative position as shown at the top of Figure 2 to the depending current impinging position shown at the lower portion of "Figure 2, the rollers ll riding on the lower portions 1) of the trackways 6 and upper and lower flanges of these portions b of the trackways holding the arms horizontal and the paddles vertical.

Deflectors I3 are employed for deflecting the current toward the vanes 8.

It is also preferable that a section M of each of the auxiliary tracks I2 be displaceable so that by moving a hand lever IS, the section can be displaced so that the rollers II will not follow the lower portions of the trackways 6 and to the end that the vanes as they pass under the device will yield to the current of the stream with the result that there will be no motion imparted to the vanes by the effect of the current of the stream. In this manner the device can be stopped or started whenever desired.

Numeral l6 denotes legs which will serve to prevent the paddles from sticking or striking on the bottom of a stream when the device is used in shallow water.

A slotted angular guard I! is provided on the up-stream end of the device for preventing debris from congesting the mechanism of the device.

At the down-stream end of the structure is located a pair of stationary rudders or fins I8, I8.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A current motor comprising a float, rotary shafts extending transversely through front and rear end portions of said float, sprocket wheels carried by said shafts, trackways at opposite sides of said float, each trackway having upper and lower flights extending longitudinally of the float and arcuate portions connecting ends of the companion upper and lower flights, the said lower flights having lateral flanges along their upper and lower edges, auxiliary track members disposed forwardly of opposite sides of said float and extending downwardly at a rearward curve with their lower ends normally registering with front ends of the lower flights, sprocket chains extending along the trackways and trained about said sprocket wheels, panels between said chains having pivot shafts carried by said chains, arms extending from the pivot shafts laterally of the panels and having rollers at their free ends for following the auxiliary track members and engaging between flanges of the lower flights to hold the panels Vertical while moving rearwardly under the float, and means for shifting lower portions RALPH WALDO HARBAUGH. 

